Joker's Gambit
by Zabbie Q
Summary: [AU] Joker tries a different tactic to convince Reika to leave the Precure for Great Britain — and it might actually work


First Smile Precure fanfic. Admittedly, this might come off as cheesy, but I'm still getting a feel for the canon characters, so if you have suggestions, I'm open for constructive feedback.

There seems to be multiple versions of the sub (one with white text, another with pink highlights). I'm using the version I found on animejolt.

* * *

Cure Beauty's opulent blue costume vanished like glass shattering, and Aoki Reika stood before Joker in civilian clothes — but not that archery-club uniform she had worn when he had found her. Joker thought the sting would be more poignant if she were to be in her preppy blue school uniform.

She examined herself, her ashen face laced in a cold sweat — which only drove her deeper into Joker's trap.

"That's your answer, right? Mission accomplished! Graduation with full marks!" he said with a triumphant grin. "You are not a Precure anymore."

He altered the lights for dramatic effect. Reika said nothing, making the smallest gasps for air. Her legs wobbled — and she collapsed to her knees, consumed with despair.

Joker let out a giggle, but he resisted the larger swell of guffaws that threatened to erupt. He would have time for that later. Now, he had to deal the finishing blow before she could regain her senses and escape the dark influence this dimension had on her ensnared mind.

Joker summoned a sabre between his fingertips, the very one he had used during their last battle. "It's over, Cure Beauty," he smiled at his fallen foe.

He almost regretted killing her. A worthy opponent like her did not come along on every doomed planet: a warrior with the brains to guess his battle tactics and with the brawn to take him on in one-on-one combat (even if that pesky shape-shifting fairy aided her, she had held her own for quite a while). To find both those qualities in a girl who, by Earth and Märchenland standards (and maybe Bad End standards), possessed a remarkable appearance to warrant her the Precure of Beauty made Reika into something of a walking contradiction. And contradictions stimulated Joker's intellect in a way few things could.

If he had been able to keep her alive a little longer, he might have enjoyed discovering more about how her brilliant mind worked behind that pretty face.

But Emperor Pierrot had also found his empress beautiful, and it hadn't stopped him from executing her when he had discovered the Harlequin inside the royal bedchamber. The Empress Columbine had possessed a bewitching visage to rival any princess from a fairy tale, but good looks had not saved her life after she had accepted the flattery and affections of her husband's closest friend. If Pierrot had not spared the woman he had adored, why should Joker spare an enemy?

Joker readied his sabre, already envisioning the girl's final breath. "Thank you for the amusement you've given me in our short time together," he said softly. A part of him meant it.

Reika's dark-blue head suddenly shot up. "Wait."

Surprise momentarily drove the deadly strike from his mind as Reika looked over her shoulder at him, her blue eyes slightly more lucid than a moment ago.

"Something is wrong about what you said," she stated, much more clearly than she should have in her current frame of mind.

Joker formed a cheery smile and twirled his blade between his long fingers. "_Oh_?" he returned with a lilt. "Are you saying you actually want to stay and disappoint your family? And give up this rare opportunity to further your education after all the times they made sacrifices to encourage you in your studies?"

Her expression faltered.

Joker lightly clapped his other hand against his pale cheek, exaggerating his features into a look of shock and reproach. "And your friends — after all their encouragement for you to follow your dream, you'll stay rooted in Japan just so that you can keep playing magical dress up?"

As soon as her eyes narrowed, he knew he had made a mistake. She climbed to her feet — he could see the despair working on her face, but she was slowly returning to her old self. If her survival didn't mean opposition for his master, Joker might have allowed himself to admit he admired her resilience.

She rubbed her smooth forehead, smearing a bit of dust on her fair face. "That's what I don't understand," she murmured. "How does going to Great Britain… mean exclusion from being a Precure?"

He poked the tip of his sword into his forefinger. "Come now. I thought you were the smart one. You can't fight with the team while on a different continent."

However, she shook her head, struggling to think. "But… Britain could need a Precure. The people's smiles there have to be protected too," she slowly elaborated, and her eyes grew still more sharper. "And we have the Book Door Code, so I could still see my friends whenever I wanted… and come back to Japan to fight in no time…"

"Well…" Joker hesitated, his mind racing for a rebuttal. "The different time zones could—"

"—Could be taken care of once we figure out a good schedule and how best to contact each other," Reika replied. The trickling light returning to her face grew steadier. "So, really, going to Britain wouldn't change things that much…" Her hand slowly reached for her Smile Pact.

Joker straightened like a rod. _Time for a different tactic!_

He looked at her blue eyes — which so many wicked step-mothers would have killed for to claim for themselves or their ugly progeny — and all at once he formed a plan of attack.

Joker broke into a deliberate laugh, slapping his chest.

* * *

She ought to have attacked first and asked questions later the second he had interrupted her archery practice. However, from the moment Joker had taken her to this circus tent, a fog had drifted into her mind, making it hard for her to do more than listen to his compelling voice. Now, as she struggled to regain her wits, the syrupy words had been replaced by an odd laughter.

Reika forced her mind out of its despairing haze to focus on the brightly colored monster. He was thin and tall, making him resemble an animated noodle when he did his magical acrobatics. The tricolored area of his hair came to three points in a way that fittingly resembled a jester's hat while two strands of dark-purple bangs fell past his white half-mask and almost touched his shoulders. The exposed parts of his pale face looked youthful. With his mask on, it was hard to discern his real age, but something about him gave off a mien of adolescence. Was he eternally young, like a teenage Peter Pan?

His laughter certainly sounded immature right then.

She squinted at him. "What's so funny?" she demanded.

He covered his black eyes, throwing his head back in his guffaws. "It's as you said, Beauty!" he cried gleefully. "Going to Britain will not separate you from those you care about, so what possible hold is left to keep you here?"

"Well, I have to…" Reika struggled to remember. She would have less time for her friends, but they could come visit her and vice versa. She wouldn't be able to see her family without revealing the secrets of the library, but being able to see them from afar would be better than nothing. Plus there was no reason to think the Bad End warriors would only attack Japan forever. They might choose to attack England someday, and she would be there to stop them…

...But they had attacked Japan so many times already. Joker could probably have advised the other Bad End generals to drain a third-world country or a town that had fallen victim to a natural disaster. They would have less opposition that way, but for some reason they almost always came after the Precure's hometown. There had to be a reason for it. And as long as they kept sending Akanbe to where the Precure resided, the Precure would have to defeat them.

Reika gritted her teeth and focused her mind. "...I have to… keep fighting you." Her fingers gripped her round Smile Pact. "...Joker," she said, more firmly.

A fresh wave of laughter exploded from the clown boy's lips. The circus tent seemed to shimmer around them as he doubled over.

"Oh, ho ho! I see it all clearly now!" he screamed out, clasping his hands together. "A light has at last been shone on your _true_ self, Cure Beauty!"

At his words, the rest of the tent flipped into darkness as if he had thrown a switch. Only a single spotlight shone on the two of them. Reika shielded her eyes against the intense beam — and suddenly Joker was beside her, grinning down at her. His wide lips pressed together, smothering his subsiding giggles. His black eyes had become mirthful slits.

"Leave it to you to give me _chills_, Beauty-sama!" he exclaimed. He hugged himself and shivered elaborately. "I've never been more flattered in my whole life, you sly thing."

_Beauty-sama?_ Reika stepped back, raising her arms instinctively. "What are you talking about—?" she started to say, but she bumped into something.

...And that something turned out to be Joker, teleported behind her. "Could it be," he whispered as his black fingernails slid over the sleeves of her blue school sweater, "the real reason you want to stay and fight is because that's the only way you can see _me_?"

Reika felt the color drain from her face. She bolted forward, spinning around to face him. "W-What? Why would you think—"

Joker reached behind his back, and in the next moment he held out a bouquet of glistening red roses toward her. He gave a slight bow, and his black eyes widened at last to stare at her intently.

"It's right out of a fairy tale," he quipped. "The beauty falling for the beastly (yet equally handsome) villain." He blew upon the blossoms, and the red petals scattered, catching a sudden breeze that swirled them around the girl. "It's as though we were made for each other."

Reika realized she was gaping at him. She narrowed her eyes, setting her jaw. If only it were easier to think…

"You're twisting my words around, Joker," she said, clenching her hands. He was taking his mockery too far!

"You don't have to be embarrassed. I'm actually honored that the icy warrior has the 'hots' for little ol' me." An elegant paper fan appeared in his hand, and he fanned his neck, which emitted a trail of steam from his purple collar. He gleefully pirouetted on the curled toes of his shoes, like a child failing to contain his energy. "Has the lady archer been struck by Cupid's arrow?"

"I feel nothing of the sort!" she retorted, her face heating now. "You're a vile demon — and a creepy boy!"

He stopped his spins in a flash, setting his tricolored hair bouncing, and he smirked. "It's alright. I know star-crossed lovers must speak in riddles and whispers, and your token protests are just your way of expressing your forbidden devotion, darling."

Her stomach churned at the pet name, spoken so casually; had he any shame in the slightest?

She shut her eyes, blocking out his gloating smile. No, he was tricking her, playing her for the fool. She had to keep her mind clear and stay calm.

"Why don't you stop your games, Joker?" she said softly, reaching carefully for her Smile Pact and—

"Who's playing games?" he asked innocently.

In the next moment, the engulfing darkness melted away, and a soft pink light filled the empty space around them. Joker now stood on her left, a card deck spreading between his hands.

"Very well," he purred. "I accept your 'suit,' darling." The Queen of Hearts rose, and he gingerly removed it. The rest of the deck vanished — and Joker dropped to one knee.

To Reika's horror, a little black box appeared atop the Queen of Hearts lying flat on his palm, and she found herself staring at a gleaming ring with an amethyst that matched Joker's purple attire.

"Aoki Reika-sama, my Cure Beauty," Joker said tenderly, his smile sweeter than she had ever seen, "will you give the worst of the Bad End Kingdom his happy ending?"

She sputtered, stepping back. "Enough of this!" She swung her arm, intending to slap the box away. Instead, her hand slid through his fingers as if he were nothing but a hologram — and Joker vanished in an array of cards.

Reika whirled about, searching for him in the pink void. He giggled somewhere, making her heart clench.

She thought she heard her name echo toward her — but instead of the boy's giggly voice, it seemed to come from her friends.

"Reika-chan! Reika-chan!"

She managed to move toward the cries three steps before a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back.

"Let's make a deal, Beauty," Joker said in her ear. "You're scheduled to leave next month, correct? Then on the day of your departure, I shall come by your house. If you leave for Britain, I'll know your heart's grown cold toward me, and I won't humiliate myself by chasing you down. I shan't even set foot on a speck of European soil. But if you remain in Japan, then that will be our wedding day instead, my darling."

"Wedding…" she repeated, her throat constricting. She did the only thing she could think of. Summoning her strength, she flung her elbow back and caught him in the chest.

He let out a startled yelp, loosening his grip enough for her to break free, but as she spun to face him, Joker kissed the tips of two fingers and blew gently.

"T.T.F.N.," he said, unfazed.

He snapped his fingers—

—And Reika was once again at school, now in bright sunlight instead of the archery range.

She hugged herself, trembling hard as the last traces of the despair left her mind. Her wits returned full force as the other Precure came running around the corner of the building.

* * *

That night, Joker stood upon the surface of the normally dark pool, arms folded. He smirked down at the image before him, as clear as if it had been a television set.

Reika tossed and turned upon her bed, unable to stay in one position long. She would lay on one side, squeezing her eyes shut — only for her face to redden, and her eyes would snap open again. After gulping several breaths, she would roll to her other side, only for the process to repeat again.

"We had an unforgettable afternoon together, didn't we, _darling_?" he tittered at her image. "Looks like you won't get your 'beauty sleep' tonight." He could almost feel the frustration and trepidation radiating off her, and with the right manipulation, he could make sure she would be an ever flowing reservoir of Bad Energy to exploit.

"If we weren't sworn enemies, I might actually feel insulted," he snickered, resting his cheek against his palm.

Some might say he ought to have taken her life that afternoon, but he hadn't had this much fun in years. A new game stretched before him, and if it meant one less Precure — whether through her departure from the country or her death — then Emperor Pierrot had one less warrior to oppose him.

Although he kind of hoped she would still be alive when his master returned. With the other Precure dead, she might despair enough that he could step in and convince her to join his army — once she saw he was the only one left alive to give her a second thought. That could be an interesting twist.

_If only there was a Bad End version of her already_, he mused wistfully, shifting his weight to the other hip. A blissfully nightmarish scenario flashed across his mind: a girl with a heart of ice, helping him drown the universe itself in despair, ruthless to everyone save for him... But he squashed the daydream almost as quickly as it had appeared.

He held onto no hope for himself; his only true objective was for his master to realize his dark dream. If Emperor Pierrot's white hymeneal future had been painted black through the actions of a woman he had once revered, who was Joker to indulge in pleasant pastimes denied to his liege?

Reika exhaled in exasperation, pulling him from his thoughts. She laid a hand across her forehead, staring up at her dark ceiling and — unknowingly — meeting Joker's watchful gaze.

Joker's smirk widened, and he knelt, touching the pool.

Reika bolted upright as a red rose appeared with a _pop_ beside her pillow, tied with a dark-purple ribbon with an Ace of Hearts card attached. Her shriek of surprise was more melodic to Joker's ears than the greatest symphony.

_Most fun in YEARS_, he chuckled to himself.

THE END

* * *

A/N: Then Reika packed her bags and left for Great Britain without looking back. The End.

I was already a fan of Commedia dell'Arte/Harlequinade before discovering this show, so I wanted to incorporate Columbine and Harlequin, who are Pierrot's wife and her extramarital lover in the traditional CdA canon. (This fic is an AU anyway, so where's the harm?) Depending upon your source, the characters are sometimes referred to with definite or indefinite articles, i.e. "a Columbine and a Pierrot come onstage" or "the Harlequin," if you were wondering about my grammar.

Also, are any of the magical characters given actual ages? If they are, I might have missed that episode, but for me, the characters seem like they are supposed to be Ageless (aside from Majorina) since fairy tales are supposed to be timeless stories. So I personally just compare them to Peter Pan, eternally one age unless magically affected (like Marjorina going from a fairy into an old witch). I'm not sure what age Joker is, but he looks and acts like a perpetual teenager to me, personally. What do you think?


End file.
